Feed mechanism for machines for marking mail



1. w. OGDEN. FEED MECHANISM FOR MACHINES ron MARKING MAIL, &c.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 10, I918- 3 1 5 9 PatentedJune 14, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESS: IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS. (\J

J. W. OGDEN. FEED MECHANISMFOR MACHINES FOR MARKING MAIL, 6L0.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.10. I918. 1,381,589. Patented June 14, 1921'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WITNESS:

TTORNEYJ. N

snares earner @FFEQE...

JACOB W. OGDEN, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE 'ASSIG-NM IENTS TO UNIVERSAL STAMPING MACHINE COMPANY, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

FEED MncI-rAnIsM non MACHINES ron MARKING MAIL, ac.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June it, 1921.

Application filed October 10, 1918. Serial No. 257,604.

is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform part of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in mechanism for feeding letters, checks, and like articles, to machines for operating thereupon; such as postmarking and canceling machines, and other mechanisms operating upon small articles of like nature. In par-' ticular the invention is an improvement in the feed mechanism of mail marking machines of the kind shown 1n Patent No.

1,022,191 of Apri12, 1212.

' The objects of the present invention are to enhance the accuracy of operation .of the feeding mechanism; to provide meanswrhere-- by the separator roller will be always subs; stantially journaled and supported relatively to.theJ-feedingroller; to reduce the number of possible points of wear in the parts supporting said roller; to enable the yielding article guide to be adjusted relatively to the separator roller without disturbing' the adjustment of the separator roller relative to the feed roller; to simplify the construction of parts; to prolong the maintenance of accurate adjustment of parts; and to reduce the liability of wear affecting the operation'and position of such parts.-

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure li's a plan view of part of a mail marking machine of the character shown in the aforesaid patent, with one embodiment of my invention incorporated in the feed mechanism thereof.

Fig. 2 is a detail side view of the yielding 1 guide and reverse roller support with such parts mounted thereon.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the support detached. 1 I Fig. 4 is'a side view of said support.

Figs. 5 and 6- are top and rearviews' of j the adjustable yielding guide detached.

'groovein roller 1 the article is advanced by rollers 16 and 17,

Fi 7 Fig. t

Fig 8 is a sectional detail.

In the machine indicated in said drawings, and as described in the aforesaid patent, the mail or other matter'to be operated upon is placed on a feed table or belt 10 and advanced facewise against a stationary guide 11 andedgewise toward an inclined guide 8, by which the letters or articles are successlvely directed endwise against a preliminary feed roller 13 which feeds them to and between a second feed roller 14 and a yieldlng guide 9 (the latter improved as hereinafter explained). Areversely rotating separator roller 15 is arranged opposite feed roller-l4 and permits only one letter or article to be fed forward at a time by roller 14:.

F rom the feed roller 14 each letteror article passes to and between a pair of feed rollers 16 and 17 which feed it onward and, while in the bite of said rollers, the leading edge of the article strikes the end of a tripfinger 2 A (that projects into an annular and rocks said finger as is a vertical section on the line 7-7,

thereby releasing the marking "roller or die 19 as described in the aforesaid patent. The letter or article fed forward by rollers 16 and 17 passes between an impression roller 18 and an opposed intermittently rotated die or marking roller 19, which latter is adapted to be operated by mechanism controlled by the trip-finger 2 and receives ink from a roller 25 as described in said patent. Then the printed article passes between a pair of delivery rollers 20 and 21 ,to a suitable receiver or stacking device not shown. All of the aforesaid parts except as hereinafter noted, may be arranged and adapted to operate substantially as described in the aforesaid patent, and therefore are not further described herein.

In the present invention the separator roller 15 and so-called yieldable guide 9 are both mounted, as hereinafter described, upon a swingable support A. Said support may be cast and is preferably bifurcated at one end, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to embrace the roller 17; the ends of the-bifurcations being loosely but's'nugly fitted on the shaft 7 of the ,roller *17, above and below said rolleraso that said support can swing horizontally on said sha t as its pivot;

As shown the" support A has a lateral shank portion A which is provided with 2. preferably integral vertical bearing A in .which the shaft 15. of the separator roller 15 is 'journaled. The lower end of shaft 15 may be connected by a universal joint 15 to .anactuating spindle 44 operated substantiall r as described in the aforesaid patent.

To the support A is suitably connected one end of a rod (1, the other end of which extends through a sleeve 6 that is threaded the feed roller 14 and separator roller 15 is regulated by adjusting the sleeve 7).- The adjusting rod a may be pivoted to support A by a shouldered screw M which acts as a pivot for thQI'Od.

In the present invention the. yielding guide 9 instead of being formed integral with its support, as heretofore, is adjustably mounted on the support A; and for this purpose said support is provided with adj a-- cent, horizontal, parallel bores D and (Figs. 3 and 4) which are adapted to be respectively engaged by pins. 9 and 9 attached to the guide plate 9. The outer end of the pin 9 is threaded and engaged by .a rotatable nut H. The pins 9 and 9 may be riveted to guide 9,and the latter reinforced adjacent such points by a plate" E. Said guide 9 has a slot 9 in it through which one side of the separator roller 15 projects when the parts are properly assembled and adjusted. ,h

Preferably the outer end of the bore C in the support is enlarged to receive the hub h of the knurled nut and two small holes 5 are drilled in the support, intersecting said enlarged art of the bore, to receive a steel wire stap e G which engages the annular groove 7:. in the hub of the nut H and holds it rotatably in place in the support, and pre- 7 vents endwise movement thereof.

A-hardened steel ball I and spring K may be placed ina hole 6 in the support so arranged that the ball will engage one of a .series of depressions in the inner-face of the nut H and prevent it from turning too freely, while permitting it to be turned to adjust the yielding guide 9 on-the support.

The guide 9 is assembled with the support A by-placing the pins 9 and 9 in the holes 0 and D and engaging nut H with the threaded part. of pin 9 By turning the nut H the guide 9 can be adjusted to the requiredposition relative to the separator roller 15.

.It is quite important in machines of this type that the reverse separator roller l5 should run smoothly and accurately rela, tively tothe feed roller 14 to insure that the letters or articles being fed are properly separated, and to prevent jumping thereof or irregularities in the separation of the letters.

The position of the separator roller 15 relative to the feed roller 14 is controlled and can be accurately adjusted by turning the sleeve 1), and the position of the guide 9 can be further adjusted independently of the adjustment of the support A and roller 15 by turning the nut H.

The guide 9yields or moves with the swingable support A the same as ifit were rigidly attached thereto, but it can be adjusted relatively to the roller 14 independently of roller 15 to compensate for wear of the periphery of the separator roller 15. f

The only points of possible wear in this novel construction are the journal bearing of the spindle of the separator roller 15 in the support A; and the pivot bearings of said support upon the shaft of the roller 17 the combination of. afeed roller, an adjacent pair of feed rollers, a swingable support pivoted on the shaft of one of the pair of feed rollers and extending opposite the first feed roller, said support having a vertical bearing for the spindle of a separator roller, a

separator rollerhaving its spindle journaled in said bearing, and an adjustable guide plate on said support. v

2. In a machine of the character specified,

the combination of afeed roller, an adjacent 7 pair of feed rollers, a swingable support pivoted on the shaft of one of the air of feed rollers and extending opposite t e first feed roller, said support having a transverse bore; a separator roller mounted on said support, a guide plate having a pin engaging the said bore, means for adjusting said guide on said support, and means for adjusting and yieldingly holding the support in adj usted position.

3.. In a machine of the character specified, the combination of a feed roller, an adjacent pair of feed rollers, a swingable support pivoted on the shaft of one of the. pair of feed rollers. and extending opposite the first feed roller, said support having a vertical bear- 7 ing for the spindle of a separator roller and a transverse bore; a separator roller having with a threaded pin engaging the said bore; its spindle journaled in said bearing, an ada nut rotatably confined to the casting and justable guide plate having a pin engaging engaging the threaded end of said pin for the said bore, and means for adjusting said ad usting said guide on said support; and 3t 5 support and yieldingly holding the same in an adjustable spring pressed rod pivotally adjusted position. connected with said support and yieldingly 4;. In a machine of the character specified, holding the same in position. the combination of a feed roller, an adja- 6. In a machine of the character specified, cent pair of feed rollers, a swingable supthe combination of a feed roller, anadjacent 85 port pivoted on the shaft of one of the pair pair of feed rollers, a swingable support pivof feed rollers and extending opposite the oted on the shaft of one of the pair of feed first feed roller, said support having a verrollers and extending opposite the first feed tioal bearing for the spindle of a separator roller, said support having a vertical bearing roller and transverse bores; a separator for a separator roller and transverse bores; 40 roller having its spindle journaled in said a separator roller having its spindle jourbearing, a guide plate provided with pins naled in said bearing, a guide plate provided engaging the said bores, means for adjusting Wit-h pins engaging the said bores, a nut rosaid guide on said support, and means for tatably confined to the casting and engaging adjusting said support and yieldingly holdthe threaded end of one of said pins for 45 ing the same in adjusted position. adjusting said guide on'said support; and an 5. In a machine of the character specified, adjustable spring pressed rod pivotally conthe combination of a feed roller, a swingable nected with said support and yieldingly support opposite the feed roller having a holding the same-in position;

vertical bearing for a separator roller and In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 60 I a transverse bore, a separator roller jourmy own, I afiix my signature.

naled in said bearin ,a guide plate provided JACOB W. OGDEN. 

